


The Knave and the Tart

by lady_meatball



Series: The Bear and the White Rabbit [4]
Category: British Actor RPF, Henry Cavill - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27129217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: Things become glaringly difficult to mask as Katie gets settled into the room Henry offers for her use.
Relationships: Henry Cavill/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Bear and the White Rabbit [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968901
Kudos: 24





	The Knave and the Tart

[Originally posted by love-music-fashion-flawless](https://tmblr.co/ZPe9uw2nTDzTu)

This was a bad idea. A **very** bad idea. A _very_ , _very_ **_bad idea_** , and I knew it. But knowing something is a bad idea unfortunately almost never stops one from proceeding in acting on that idea…and yet again, I had the echo of a young Kathryn Beaumont singing as Alice Kingsley in the animated version of Alice in Wonderland I loved so very much, disappointedly telling herself of her knack of giving very good advice and very seldom following it as I walked beside Henry from the elevator.

My head screamed to keep this man at arms length, to not let my guard down, to shore up the defenses I had put into place so hastily over the last few years, and not give an inch to this gorgeous man and his kindness and generosity. Conversely, the warmth of the fingers touching my back as I was led through the hallway ignited the butterflies in my heart as well as my stomach, and familiar feelings of attraction blossomed deep within me.

“It’s just down here-“ Henry spoke, voice soft as he lifted his right arm to point to the left, guiding me to the corner and the remaining hall beyond the turn, “-fourth door on the right. Here’s the card key, I’ll let you get settled while I go collect Kal then bring him with me after I change out of these stuffy clothes, if that is alright?”

Nodding softly, I looked to him with a tiny smile as I took the card from his hand from him once he removed it from the slacks he wore.

“Thank you.” I breathed, stepping away to seek out my sanctuary and the few minutes of privacy I was being allowed. “I didn’t intend to be a burden to you.”

The gentle look Henry wore as we shared a moment of silence between us had the butterflies fluttering faster deep inside me as I thought to myself to tamp down any sliver of hope before turning away and walking towards the door he had indicated.

“It’s not a burden to look out for another person’s safety, especially if that person is one I’d like to keep around…I don’t have enough friends in the ‘real world’. If _nothing_ else, I’d very much like to consider us friends. I look after my friends.” He called softly after me, making me turn to look over my shoulder back at him once I reached the door. The soft expression he wore told he was being truthful as he went on to add sincerely, “You are not a burden…don’t ever think that, Katie. Expect the Bear and myself in thirty minutes. Look over the menu, think about what you want to eat…”

Nodding, I swallowed the lump rising in my throat at his sweet and gentle words. Unlocking the door, I smiled and slipped inside the cool and dark room, enveloped in the faint scent of Henry’s cologne in the air.

##  **#####**

Standing planted in the hallway, Henry watched as Katie slipped into the rented room. 

Sighing heavily, he felt sadness wash over him as the thoughts of her admission earlier concerning her choice of keeping her social circle almost nonexistent outside of her job and even more so in regards to the declaration of shutting herself off from the opposite sex. 

Loneliness, guarded or otherwise, he knew all too well. It was part and parcel to the life he chose in following his love of his trade, but the self imposed loneliness this young woman had enacted upon herself in self described ‘self preservation’ of hard learned lessons over a short duration was truly heartbreaking. And this business about not allowing herself to ‘like’ him in any way beyond that of a friend…

“ _Complete and utter bollocks_ …” he breathed on a whisper before lifting his hand to scrub over his face in buzzed frustration. “You’ve finally found a woman more stubborn and obstinate than yourself, Cavill…and she refuses to be charmed.”

Staring at the closed door, Henry shook his head, a bemused chuckle leaving him with a snort of indignation as her words echoed in his mind, ‘I can’t allow myself to ‘like’ you, not in that way…’tens’ and ‘sixes’ don’t mix…we’re not in the same league…’

“Damn the man, whomever he is, that froze her heart.” Henry growled, setting off to walk the carpet to the third door beyond the one Katie had just slipped past. “He’d better hope to God I never find out who he is, there will certainly be more than words being exchanged otherwise.”

##  **#####**

“What am I doing?” I whined to myself in complete darkness, leaning against the door. Lifting my hands, I buried my face while I tried to calm my thoughts, heart and anxiety in my quasi-drunken state. “ _What_ am I **doing**? This is… _insane_. I know better! God, do I know better…”

The only sound that answered me was the hum of the air conditioning in the room and the faint sound of talking down the hall…Henry’s voice talking to his assistant, I was positive. 

“ _Fuck._ ” One syllable, uttered in breathless exasperation summed up the whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and anxiety rioting throughout my being. 

Letting another deep breath go through my loosened lips, I let my head fall backwards to the door I leaned against, thumping it over and over again as I came to recognize what I already knew…I was fighting a losing battle, tooth and nail, and it wasn’t going to end well for my already fucked up heart and head.

The self imposed beating of my head to the door was beginning to leave me tender headed but the slight shift of weight I hadn’t noticed resulted in my head not meeting the smooth surface of the security door, but the casing of the peephole unfortunately.

“Oww!” I yelped, ceasing the movement and cradling the back of my head as I felt my eyes well at the blossoming pain at the back of my skull. “ _Damn it…_ ”

The deep resonance of the voices in the hallway had stopped, I noticed now that I had been distracted from my pitiful attempt at wallowing in my thoughts. Listening closer, I caught the sound of a bark and the heavy door of the room Kal had been watched in closing. 

Standing in silence and still cradling the back of my head with my left hand, I listened, catching the sound of Henry’s deep voice grow louder and more clear as he walked back in the direction of the room I now sheltered in.

“Hello, Bear. Did you enjoy your time away from me this evening?” He asked the dog, eliciting a soft ‘bork’ in response from the dog. I could imagine the smile on his face, that of a beaming proud pet parent. “Well, I’m glad to hear it, because I missed you as well, Kal. Now come along, we’ve got a date with the White Rabbit and some room service, and I want to change-“

The Akita let out a happy sound, interrupting Henry.

“-shush! Inside voice, Bear! Yes, you’ll see her again-“ Henry chastised, his voice loud and clear almost as if he was on the other side of my door. 

Turning quickly, I pressed my eye to the peephole. He wasn’t there, but I could just make out the fluff of Kal’s tail and backside in the peripheral to my left. Eyes round as silver dollars, I whipped around to fumble for the light switches as I continued to listen. It only took a second to feel the switches on the wall and I flicked them all on, just as I heard the lock on the other side of the wall unlatch and Henry spoke again.

“-go on, inside…there’s a good boy! Go lay down while I get in the shower, then you get to see Katie again once I’m dressed.”

The only sound I heard over the rush of blood in my ears was the loud call of nuclear alarm klaxon going off in my head.

“ **Fuck.** ” I uttered softly, knowing Henry Cavill, Movie Star Extraordinaire, Adonis-on-Earth, God’s Perfect Specimen (trademark) and genuinely nice guy and Nerd was not only on the other side of a relatively thin wall…but was most likely stripping down naked to shower if not right that moment then soon. My lady parts betrayed my head, and I felt the lightning bolt that was lust zing through me, settling low in my belly while my nipples grew hard and I suddenly found the act of swallowing difficult. Looking down the length of my torso, I hissed angrily, “ ** _Traitor._** **No** , just… _ **don’t** even think about it, missy_! He. Is. **OFF**. **Limits**! _Do you hear me_?!? **_Persona non-grata_** at Casa Esperanza! _**Nope**_. **Nuh-uh** … ** _not gonna happen_** , so **_don’t_** get **any** ideas…”

By the end of my declaration of no-skankazation to my traitorous sexuality I had looked up from frowning thunderously at my pelvis to look around the room. 

It was like any other hotel room on the Strip-King sized bed, nice but replaceable bed linens, a desk and chair, a sizable flat screen television…and a door that was conspicuously in the middle of the wall, adjoining the room the sopping wet brick shit house was naked and most likely lathering himself with more of that intoxicating smelling scent in the form of body wash…those huge masculine hands just rubbing and massaging the moisture of soap and water into his massive muscles…bubbles running down his chest and arms, trailing along those lines of definition fit men have running under their hip bones that turn smart girls stupid lower to…

Burying my face in my hands again, I sank to the edge of the mattress as I painfully groaned a drawn out “ _Fuuuuuuuck_.”

##  **#####**

Knock-knock-knock, the sound echoed like a gunshot.

I knew he was coming over, I could hear him addressing Kal on the other side of the door, but with how jumpy and anxious I felt after my imagination took the reins, the noise startled me.

“Be right there!” I called, voice cracking slightly and I rolled my eyes at myself as I climbed off the bed. The process had already begun, my body instinctively reacting how I knew it would to a gorgeous man with a ripped physique and an accent, and I wasn’t happy about this development, not in the slightest.

“You have a rather eager visitor out here. Don’t want to keep him waiting…” I heard Henry say through the door as I approached. Turning the hands, I opened the door and found Henry and Kal both wearing the equivalent of matching grins. He offered me a dopey grin before looking down at his dog, right arm lifting to point at me as he told the canine, “You see? I told you you would see her, go on…inside.”

The mountain of fur sprang from his sitting position to bolt inside the room, knocking into my leg and sending me backwards to land on my ass…only Henry reaches out and caught my hand before I met the carpet, keeping me suspended in mid fall until my feet slid out from under me and I landed on my backside with an audible ‘oof’.

That ridiculously charming smile was back as he towered above me, holding my hand while I looked up at him no doubt wearing the expression of a startled owl at this latest development.

“Darling, we should really stop meeting like this…”

Meanwhile I interjected, “Why is it every time I see you, I either drop something or end up flat on my back?”

His charming and humorous expression changed like quicksilver, one thick eyebrow lifting to arch in question as his laughing smile morphed into a naughty smirk, advertising all he heard was innuendo.

“I’m not even trying…”

“That was **NOT** what I meant…” I backtracked, realizing how it had sounded the moment my previous statement had left my lips, “I just…will you help me up?”

Retracting his beefy arm, I was standing in front of Henry with his assistance the next moment and again much too close for my sanity’s liking.

“Better?” He inquired softly with no hint of innuendo in his voice or expression, only that charming boyishness lighting his features. I could smell the water and soap still clinging to his skin and hair…the curls,freed from the styling and products used to keep his hair straight, hung loose and damp over his scalp…the minty smell filling my nose as he asked me his question…and I was frozen to the spot, lost in his eyes as I nodded yes. “Good. I brought you a shirt and some shorts…in case you…”

The span of three heartbeats measured the length of the look we shared. I tried to take everything in-the coot of his eyes, the way the terrible fluorescent lighting reflected off the water clinging to his hair, the smell of clean sexy man…and the barest hint of a blush resting atop his high cheekbones as he added quietly, “…wanted to be more comfortable.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” I told him with a tiny smile. Stepping backwards, I ushered him inside, feeling a blush burn my own cheeks. Clearing my throat of the lump I couldn’t swallow and needing to clear the elephant in the room for myself as I turned to close the door, I lifted my right arm, hooking my thumb to towards the wall that separated this room from his, asking, “ _Ummm_ …so, your next door?”

Henry nodded his head as he continued to walk further into the room, confirming the action by adding, “Yes. I take it you could hear me talking to Kal when we got back to the room? For such a ‘nice hotel’ you’d think the walls would offer a bit more privacy…”

He never turned around as he spoke, so I couldn’t see if he was just pointing out the obvious, teasing me or testing the waters for…more.

“Yeah…right.” I agreed, gulping loudly and just knowing he had heard me do it. 

Henry tossed the clothing he held onto the dresser that sat under the mounted television screen before walking over to the windows and pulling the curtains back just enough to showcase the view of the Strip lit up.

Turning away from the view after a moment, he was back to being the charming prince as he offered a smile, asking me “Have you decided what you want to eat? I can call it to Room Service if you want to go change or shower. Go, I’m sure you’d appreciate getting your makeup off after the day you’ve had…don’t mind us-“ he smiled, tipping his head towards Kal where he had claimed the middle of the rooms mattress and lay panting, “-take as long as you like, well keep ourselves entertained.”

Nodding, I walked in a daze to snatch up the clothes Henry had brought me before turning tail and bolting for the bathroom. 

Safely inside, with the door locked, I found my reflection in the mirror and stared, slack jawed and googly eyed at myself until a near hysterical giggle bubbled from deep inside my chest at how surreal this night was turning out to be.

A soft knock at the door broke me from my moment of indulgence and I inhaled sharply in surprise. I choked on my own saliva and began coughing, much to the Adonis’ amusement as I heard snickering on the other side of the door.

“Sorry to disturb you, but what did you want to eat?” Henry asked through his own giggles.

Collecting myself quickly, I put on a stoic face and unlocked the door to reply face to face.

“A hamburger. Bacon, grilled onions, pickles, lettuce and mayo on the side and barbecue sauce for the fries, please and thank you.” I told him with a curt little nod before shutting the door in his handsome face with a little too much zeal.

“Insufferable…” 

“And a vanilla milkshake…with REAL whipped cream! None of that Cool Whip crap!” I added, a grin spreading across my face as I heard his soft chuckle through the door.

“Something else, entirely…” he muttered before his voice got louder, “As you wish, your highness…anything else?”

I had to bite my lips to keep from adding what was going through my mind in that moment, a naughty smile pulling at my face when Henry spoke up one last time, “I’ll take that as a ‘no’… _for now_.”

Those last two words had been barely audible, but I caught them nonetheless. The shit eating grin I wore only a second before vanished like a puff of smoke on the wind and my eyes grew round at the implied double meaning of his last sentence.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I wordlessly mouthed an anxious and exuberant expletive to my reflection…


End file.
